Simple and Delicious Venison Backstrap

Scouring the internet for backstrap recipes is unnecessarily complicated. Keep things simple with this recipe and treat yourself to the most tender, juicy, delicious backstrap you've ever had. For this recipe I used half of a whitetail backstrap, a smoker and a hot skillet. Now, I've heard people say that smokers are not for tender cuts of meat like backstrap. To that I would say don't listen to those people, you don't need that type of negativity in your life.

Ingredients: 

• Coarse ground salt & pepper
• Olive oil
• Fresh pressed garlic
• Butter

Several hours prior to smoking, rub the backstrap with a coating of olive oil and cover with coarse ground salt and pepper to your liking. I purposely chose not to measure anything, but my salt to pepper ratio was probably 2:1. Keep refrigerated until you're ready to smoke.

Different woods add a different flavor to the meat you smoke. I used hickory chips for this recipe mainly because it's considered "The King" of all smoking woods and it was what I had on hand. Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees and smoke the backstrap until the internal temperature reaches 120 degrees. Depending on the size of the cut you're working with it should take roughly an hour. Use this time to press a fresh clove or two of garlic into a glass bowl with quarter stick of butter. Heat the garlic and butter up in the microwave until it melts and stir them together. Once your backstrap reaches an internal temperature of 120 degrees remove the meat from the smoker and head to the kitchen.

Heat a large skillet, add the backstrap and begin searing the outside. While you're searing, spoon the garlic butter over the meat. Do this until your internal temperature reaches 130 degrees. Remove the backstrap from the skillet, place it on a plate and cover with foil for ten minutes. Slice, serve and enjoy.